Saniya Atalatti

UX Researcher · UCL PhD Researcher

Most researchers come through one path. I came through three that quietly taught me the same thing: patience with complexity until it makes sense. I moved straight from software engineering into a PhD at UCL, while also holding a Kathak Visharad after 15 years of classical training. Together they shape how I work, with the same discipline I bring to understanding users deeply, and turning that into research rigour that lives inside the product, not beside it.

SA Saniya Atalatti

Psychology.
Design.
Product Strategy.

I work at the intersection of behavioural psychology, interface design, and product strategy.

My PhD at UCL investigates how social media design shapes teenagers' capacity to act in alignment with their own intentions.

That question has made me a sharper researcher, a more rigorous designer, and someone who understands why products fail their users at a level most UX researchers never reach.

Beyond research: Kathak practitioner for 14 years. Published poet. 2nd Prize at IIT Mandi's international research conference.

"The gap between what teenagers intend to do on social media and what they actually end up doing is not a willpower problem. It is a design problem. And design problems have design solutions."

EMA Diary Studies Usability Testing Figma Network Analysis Qualtrics User Interviews Product Strategy R · mlVAR Prototyping

Research Focus

Intention–Action Alignment in Adolescent Social Media Use

Why teenagers don't do what they intend to do online, and how platform design is responsible.

01

How do infinite scroll, notifications, and algorithmic feeds disrupt intention–action alignment?

02

What interface affordances support autonomous engagement instead of compulsive use?

03

Can intention–action alignment be operationalised in EMA-based longitudinal research?

EMA
Real-time behavioural capture
Diary Studies
14-day longitudinal tracking
mlVAR in R
Network analysis across variables
Interviews
Thematic analysis

Publications

02
Springer Studies in Rhythm Engineering 2026
03
Springer Studies in Rhythm Engineering 2026
04
Taylor & Francis 2024

Experience

Brainfloss
London
Associate Product Manager
May 2024 – Mar 2025

Built a research-driven product for aviation training institutes. Conducted 15+ user interviews, defined 4 core features, reduced design-engineering revisions by 30%.

Studio Vitamin D
Pune
UX Design Intern
Jan 2025 – Mar 2025

Identified 8+ key pain points. Reduced workflow ambiguity by 32%. Produced annotated design documentation.

EngramLogic
Pune
UX Research Intern
Aug 2024 – Nov 2024

Researched 55 students using personality segmentation. Created behaviour models and contributed to two published papers.

Ogee Studio
Pune
UX Design Intern
Jan 2024 – Apr 2024

Conducted heuristic evaluations of cybersecurity tools and designed 12+ high-fidelity dashboards.

Achievements

Presented at IIT Mandi — MBCC 2025

2nd Prize — Impetus & Concepts

First Class Distinction — Kathak Visharad (14 years)

Runner Up — PICT International Competition

Regional Finalist — IIT Bombay E-Yantra

Author — Resilience (Poetry Collection)

Let's build something
that matters.

If you're designing products for young people or commissioning research on the intention–action gap, consider approaching it through the lens of autonomy.

Send a message
University Email saniya.atalatti.25@ucl.ac.uk
Google Scholar scholar.google.com
Location London, United Kingdom
Institution UCL Interaction Centre